KarunaNews Story

At Newburgh Free Academy in New York, cell phones are locked away for the entire school day, including lunch, and many students say it is a relief after constantly being on their phones during the COVID-19 lockdown. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 57% of high school girls in the US felt persistently sad or hopeless during the pandemic, double that of boys. In May, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on the effects of social media on youth mental health. "The youth mental health crisis is the defining public health issue of our time," he said. "If we do not address it with urgency, then I worry we will lose an entire generation of children to depression, anxiety and suicide." Ebony Clark, assistant principal at Newburgh Free Academy, says banning phones has helped cut down on online bullying.